LATEST NEWS
Richard Whitehead: I have reached Lands’ End!
"Today (23rd September) I completed my epic 40 marathons in 40 days challenge! It has been an absolutely epic journey, and something that will live with me forever. Despite the constant aches, pains and endless hills there was one thought that kept me going. That thought was a determination to prove that anyone and everyone can live a life without limits. Once you have accepted this, you can push the barriers as far as they can go.
I hope I have been able to leave that message with the people across Britain. I would like to say a huge thank you to my team for supporting me through both the highs and the lows. Please remember to visit my Virgin Giving page and donate!
Calling all runners – Can you beat Hugo?
One of the biggest challenges of my run has been getting myself motivated and mentally prepared to run every morning when my body’s been screaming at me to go back to bed and recover from the last day / week / month of running.
Something that’s made this easier is getting out of the team van and meeting all the brilliant people who’ve come to run 5k, 10k or do a full marathon with me from the start line each morning. As a result the first miles of the day are nearly always the most enjoyable and act as a real springboard for when things get really tough later on.
It’s also been inspiring to hear what all of the runners have been doing to fund raise on their own pages and talk about how they’ve been training and putting in the miles, whether they’re doing their first ever 5k, are pals from Paralympics GB or seasoned club runners.
Even though I’m getting close to Land’s End, the fundraising race is still on, which is why I want some healthy competition between all our public runners and see if anyone can beat Hugo to the top spot, or even if Hugo can extent his lead! Either way, it’s all for excellent causes! Find out more here: http://www.richardwhiteheadrunsbritain.com/runners.html
It’s never too late to donate, so text RUN to 70107 to give £5, donate to one of my runners or head over to my Virgin Money Giving page!
The Last Leg… quite literally
On Tuesday, Channel 4’s Last Leg presenters Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker paid me a visit to film me running during my final week of the challenge. After getting a little lost they finally managed to find me and my team in the depths of the Somerset countryside. As you know, I have been spotted watching Chariots of Fire (kindly donated by my sponsor Virgin Media) whilst running to keep me motivated so the guys from The Last Leg thought it would be funny to act out famous scenes from films to keep me entertained. Luckily I managed to guess them all! Thanks so much for everyone who watched the programme last night and donated.
I COULD VISIT YOUR SCHOOL!
During this challenge I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing kids along the way who have shown tremendous support and have definitely motivated me to keep going.
This has in turn motivated me to want to get them more involved in this campaign in aid of Scope and Sarcoma UK. On that note, I am challenging both schools and sports clubs up and down the country to get behind me and help me raise as much money as possible for Scope and Sarcoma UK through my latest challenge – Richard Whitehead Runs Britain.
For the school or sports club that raises the most money I will make a special appearance to personally thank you for your kind donations and fundraising efforts and I will also visit four other top fundraising schools or sports clubs (selected at random) around the country. So whether it’s hosting a bake sale, organising a sponsored walk or wearing your own clothes for the day, I need your help to fundraise on behalf of these two amazing charities.
On a date suitable for both your school or sports club and me, I will be available to come in and talk about my latest challenge as well as my life as an athlete. From details about my training program, my lucky underwear, to what it was like winning gold at London 2012, I will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Closing dates for entries is Friday the 11th of October and the winning school or sports club will be chosen by the end of October. Please note all money raised will need to be submitted to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RichardWhiteheadRunsBritain by Friday 11th October."
SIMPLY THE VEST!
Calling all children across the UK!
This is your chance to meet Paralympic Champion Richard Whitehead and present him with a running vest DESIGNED BY YOU to wear when he runs through your area to keep him smiling – as well as winning a matching vest for yourself.
Richard is running 40 marathons in 40 days from Scotland to Cornwall and is seeking five extra special vests to help keep him running. He would love to see your image for the front of his running vest designed with the theme ‘living a life without limits’ to inspire him. It could feature local personalities, landmarks or a picture of you and your friends cheering Richard on. Unleash your imagination!
The winning designs will be made for Richard and worn by him on the relevant stage of the run (i.e. when he will be running near your city). The winning child will then be invited to present Richard with their vest at the start of Richard’s run in their area! A replica child’s size vest will also be made for the designer to wear and keep.
The winners will be chosen by Richard and the team at Virgin Media who are sponsoring Richard’s challenge.
